


A Second Chance

by MooMoo1314



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-08 12:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1132846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MooMoo1314/pseuds/MooMoo1314
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this universe, the ninth doctor is just trying to defeat a mysterious race located in the basement of a shop in London but runs into a strange girl instead. A blonde girl who knows his name and his face. She knows the TARDIS but won't tell him how. The only question she has is if she can travel with him throughout time and space.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Déjà vu

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU where the tenth doctor doesn't come back for Rose. With (human) Rose never born the ninth doctor never dies and they are half-reunited.

The Doctor glanced over the TARDIS monitor for a short moment just to make sure he was in the right place. After he was satisfied with the the results, he dashed out the door that led into the dark, humid basement of a simple shop downtown. There were boxes of random old merchandise lined up along the hallway where he headed, looking for the lift. Around a corner there was the clatter of boxes being pushed over, and as the Doctor neared, he saw that they blocked the door to the lift. He quickly sweeped the area looking for an alternative exit and found a set of stairs down a corridor. As the Doctor ran, he felt a sense of uneasiness creeping into his mind. He was being followed for sure, but he had never faced these creatures before and knew little of what they were capable of. His heart rate increased considerably when he felt something brush up against his arm. _You should be better at this_ , he chatised himself, considering all of the destinations that he's found trouble from which he had to outrun. Just as he reached the door, his stomach dropped to his feet when he found it was locked. _No_ , he thought; he wouldn't be able to get his sonic screwdriver out in time. He turned around just to see the thing that would shock him most.

            _Nothing_. The corridor was completely empty- except for the moisture dripping off the walls. Flabbergasted, he looked toward the ceiling, half-expecting something to jump down on him. Nothing. He soniced the air in front of him looking for something invisible. Nothing. The sonic screwdriver was signaling life signs everywhere,  _but where were they?_ Tentatively, the Doctor made his way down the corridor, sonicing the walls and doors as he went. Just before he was about to round a corner, he caught a glimpse of something glowing in a storage room on the left. He sought in avoiding puddles and dead bugs as he entered through the door. The Doctor was just making his way over the piles of old cleaning supplies when the door slammed shut behind him. Panicked, he whirled around, his sonic poised in front of him. Nothing moved. He waved the sonic around, trying to find a light. If there was one, it was not going to turn on. He groped around in the pitch black storage space, searching around for a door. His hand finally ran along a handle and pushed on it, only to find that it was stuck. The Doctor pressed all his weight against the door, but it wouldn't budge. Finally out of options, he banged on the door and called for someone to help him. After many fierce attempts at knocking the door down, he slumped to the ground, defeated. He still had lingering hope that it could all just be a human prank, right?

            Nope. The Doctor felt himself longing for his TARDIS. It was the thing that he cherished most in the universe. He hated the inevitable effect his leaving would have on her. She would wither and fade away in the basement, never given a second thought. They had had so many adventures togeth-

            "Oi! What're you doin' in there? It's staff only!" The Doctor snapped out of his final thought collage. A very annoyed woman shouted through the door. With renewed hope, he jumped up and pressed his ear against the door.

            "The door is stuck!" the Doctor yelled. It opened. The silhouette of a very annoyed looking young woman stood in the door way. The hall was too dark to see her face but he can tell she wasn't happy with him. "Ah. Much better. Now if you'll excuse me-" He had been trying to squeeze around her,but she didn't budge. He could tell that she wasn't going to let him go without an explanation. He sighed and started thinking up an excuse when there were more boxes crashing down on the other side of the wall. Not a second passed before he grabbed the woman's hand and yelled, "Run!"

            The Doctor was half dragging the woman as they ran down the opposite corridor. He rounded a corner to find the lift still barricaded with boxes. He feverishly started removing boxes, tossing the lighter ones behind him and scooting the heavier ones as far as they would go. The woman got down on her knees almost immediatley and started to clear the lift's path. The Doctor was surprised; not many humans would register what was going on so quickly, and she hadn't hesitated at all- and this was no time for him to. He snapped his attention back on the boxes. A few moments later the path to the lift was cleared and they tumbled through the door, faces flushed and hearts pounding.

            In the lift, the light was _much_ brighter. It almost hurt his eyes after all that time being in such dimly lit quarters. The Doctors eyes glanced over to the woman and stopped. She was a good half a foot shorter and she had blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her cheeks were red from running and her hair was a mess. She was supported by the rail attached to the wall. He wouldn't have given her a second glance if it weren't for her face. Other than being obviously beautiful, she looked like she had seen a ghost. Her face contorted into confusion and longing and she was on the verge of tears.

            "Are you all right?" the Doctor asked. He didn't like human hysterics, but he knew better than to ignore her obviously pained eyes. He had been through this many times with many different humans and none ever quite gained a grip. Except, of course, his companions.

            She stared for a long moment before composing herself. "Yeah... yeah- it's just... you look like someone I once knew..." Her breathing started to become short and raspy as she tried to hold back tears.

            "What's your name?" the Doctor asked. Maybe they had met before, but he didn't recognize her.

            "Rose," she said. Unfamiliar. The lift dinged.

            "Well Rose, run for your life," he said and dashed out the doors. Almost as if he was trying to stop himself from looking back, he rounded the nearest corner and fell against the wall. It was late and the shop was abandoned leaving the sound of frantic footsteps amplified to the Doctor's ears.

            "Wait!" Rose yelled. She started running in the direction the Doctor had gone. She found him leaning against the wall, out of breath. "Where're you goin'?" she asked. The Doctor hadn't thought about this much. The TARDIS was still in the basement and there was no where else he could go. Of course he would go back to stop whatever was possessing the basement, but that seemed like a job to do when it was lighter. Rose seemed to see this in his face. "You left her in the basement, didn't you?" she murmured, but before the Doctor could ask if he had heard her right she spoke again. "You can come to my flat for the night..." she said. Her flat? They had just met, and he didn't know a single thing about this woman. Only a lunatic would believe in someting evil living in such a plain looking basement. _If they didn't already know_.

            "Who are you?" the Doctor asked.

            "Why don't you stay at my flat and I'll tell you," she said. The Doctor timidly nodded, still rather confused and a bit hesitant. He followed her out the front door. The street was emptied except for the occasional taxi zipping down the lane. The air was thick and warm with humidity. Zeppelins cruised the sky with glittering lights dangling from them making the December night seem rather festive. Rose kept looking behind her at the Doctor, which he thought must be her making sure he was still there. _Like she was afraid he'd disappear._ He pushed the thoughts away. Of course not. He was just feeling lonely, that's all. With only the TARDIS to look after him it felt rather nice someone else cared if he existed or not. That was absurd though, he is lonely for a reason and his loneliness is a price he had to pay.

            Around a few more corners and down a street or two Rose ascended the stairs to a rusty apartment building. The red bricks had faded, white painting on the front in big letters. It was dark, so it was hard to see, and the only letters visible were an A, D, and O. Other than that, the apartment front consisted of six windows and one door. Rose passed through it and the Doctor followed. Another series of chipped white corridors and musty faded steps later, the Doctor found himself in Rose's apartment building. It was small with just one bedroom and bathroom on opposite ends of the living room. The walls were a faded green and the carpet a shaggy light brown color. The kitchen only consisted of a small fridge and stove, with just a microwave on a single counter.

            "Feel free to make yourself at home, Doctor," she said as she slid her shoes off on a dingy rug. The Doctor stood where he was and waited for Rose to finish putting her coat on a hook attached to the door. She had called him Doctor and it gave him a hint of pleasure someone knew his title, after all this time, followed by chatising himself for wanting to think she might want to travel with him. Though, she did seem to already know the TARDIS and when to run from danger without questioning it. Only his past companions knew as well as that. "You want tea or anything?" she asked, walking to the kitchen. He probably would have said yes if he hadn't just witnissed a cockroach bolt across the counter.

            "None for me, thanks," he said and started walking around the room. There was a tiny patched sofa at the far end of the room below a window. He sat on it and started fiddling with a plastic figurine of a wolf. Rose had started boiling water on the single stove and was watching him play with the wolf.

            "My little brother gave me that for my last birthday," Rose said. "He knows they're my favourite." Rose sighed and walked over to sit next to him. The Doctor found a button on the wolf's ear and pushed it. "It needs new batteries."

            "Ah," the Doctor said, pulling out his sonic screwdriver, "with just a bit of jiggery-pokery I can have it working in no time-" The wolf started howling. He held it up proudly, waiting for the fascinated and flabbergasted face he knew so well. Rose looked niether fascinated nor flabbergasted, she just had a faint smile on her lips. Her eyes were glazed over as if she were in a whole other place entirely, recollecting a memory. The kettle blew, bringing Rose back into the present and she got up the take it off the stove. The Doctor put the wolf back on the coffee table and sat back, discontent with Rose's reaction. It didn't bother him Rose wasn't completely amazed at how he could do that. He always had been hesitant because of the occasional hitty, screamy reaction. It was just this Rose seemed to know much of his traveling life and he was mad at himself for never being able to show her _more_. She leaned over the counter sipping her tea.

            "How do you know my name?" the Doctor started.

            "I've traveled with you. What's going on in the shop?" she asked. The Doctor was taken aback; he was not aware this was going to be a two-way interogation.

            "I don't know yet. When have you traveled with me?"

            "Does it have anythin' to do with the girl that mysteriously died a few days back?" she replied, ignoring his question.

            "What mysterious death? What happened?" the Doctor asked, forgeting his own confusion.

            "There was a girl that drowned on the side walk leavin' the shop just last Thursday. She wasn't near any water or nothin'."

            "How did the police explain it?"

            "They didn't. I haven't heard anything. Torchwood stepped in a few days ago but I haven't caught word yet." Of course, Torchwood. She must be an agent. That would explain her knowledge of the TARDIS and alien technology. But why had she claimed to have traveled with me?

            "Are you a Torchwood agent?" the Doctor questioned.

            She tsked. "Me? Oh no, not Torchwood. I was offered a high position there, me bein' former companion and all, but I've learned not to trust 'em." She sipped her tea with a glint in her eye telling the Doctor she had had a fairly unpleasent memory with the Torchwood team.

            "Is that how you know who I am?"

            She set her tea down. "We met each other all on our own. That was years back- and far away."

            "Where? I don't remember you."

            "Ah, well _you_ wouldn't; however, there is a you that is the one that got me here in the first place." Seems plausable.

            "What do you mean?" the Doctor asked. She set her empty mug in the sink and headed toward her bedroom door.

            "It's gettin' late, Doctor. I'm gonna get some sleep. Help yourself to anything." She gestured toward the rest of the room. Just as the Doctor was going to protest, Rose shut the door behind her. He sat back against the couch, exhausted. "And don't you go anywhere," Rose said, peering out of her doorway before descending for the final time into her room. It was funny to the Doctor how he didn't even think of leaving before she mentioned it. He didn't get into domestics or sentimentally attached to humans. They were high-maintnance, and he didn't have the time or motive to take on a new companion. He was alone and that was how it should be.

           This Rose was different though. She didn't cower at the first sign of danger or ask all the wrong questions. She seemed to already know the ropes of being a companion. Rose was also the first that told him not to wander off instead of him telling her. There was something new about this girl. And new things always intrigued the Doctor. The mystery that surrounded her was just too compelling to leave alone. It was like she already knew him, and he wasn't about to rest until he knew her. Maybe he didn't have to be alone.

           Maybe.


	2. Déjà Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Rose look for the thing lurking in the basement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'd like to apologize for the chapter title. I'm awful at those and I just couldn't resist XD.

In the morning the first thing that Rose saw, or rather, _smelt,_ was smoke. The grey fumes were billowing through the cracks in her door and into her bedroom. The alarm set off, and she could hear shouting and thumping around in the next room. For a moment, Rose felt herself reverting back to the old days with the other Doctor. He was always getting them into trouble with fire and alien messes and all.  _What now?_ she would think. There was so many times the Doctor'd get them into to all sorts of trouble, but he'd always get them out of it in one piece.  _Almost always,_ she thought bitterly before climbing out of bed. 

            The entire apartment was clouded in the thick blanket of smoke. She found the rest of the room empty. Her sofa was on fire along with the drapes across the window.  _What on Earth-_  Her reverie was broken by the door opening. It was hard to see, but she could clearly make out a red cylinder floating around. With a puff, it discharged mounds of white fluff, ultimately overwhelming the flames to a state of ash. Rose coughed and tried to expel the smoke by waving her hand. As it cleared, the Doctor looked around almost seeming horrified until his eyes met hers. His face lights up, and he smiles at her like nothing happened. Rose couldn't help but laugh. Though she was going to have to refurbish her living room, she missed the Doctor. 

            "What's goin' on, then?" she asked the Doctor, trying to keep a straight face.

            "No idea." He shook his head, smiling. At that moment, a fire fighter came bursting through the door. She clunked in with large, sturdy black boots and a green and red firemen's jacket. Her face was covered by a rather large mask, but Rose could tell she was a bit disproving of their smiles when a fire had just broken out. After a quick look around the room she noticed there was in fact, no fire. She removed her gas mask and looked at the Doctor and Rose standing in the kitchen.

            "What happened?" she asked.

            "Rose here was playing with matches and set my couch on fire," the Doctor lied. "I came back from work this morning and there she was, trying to fan out the whole thing! I had to look around a bit before finding this, here," he said, holding the fire extinguisher up, "You should probably look into making sure the land lord is placing them on all floors." And with that, he handed the device to the rather surprised fire woman, who looked at her disdainfully. "Come along then, Rose," the Doctor said and started out the flat. We could hear the woman start to protest, but we didn't stop. We ended up running out the apartment's back door and continued on to the shop.

            All along the road people were lined up to see what all the fuss was about. Rose and the Doctor didn't care though; there were bigger things waiting for them. The road was slick as they made their way along the back of buildings until they turned on the street the shop was on. It too was coated in water. It was strange that there would be water on the street so late in December. Maybe a water mane broke, Rose thought.

            Redner's was closed, it being a Sunday and all, so Rose and the Doctor had to walk around to the back. After sonicing the door, they slid inside and headed for the basement. The halls leading to the lift were dark and empty. Rose was used to being kept after hours to attend to the trivial things of her job, but it was never so  _dark._ Rose felt comforted having the Doctor by her side though. She knew there was nothing too heavy the Doctor couldn't handle, at least not  _this_ Doctor. Rose had been overwhelmed with a flood of emotions, seeing him again. It reminded her of how much she missed him. Being back in the shop, hearing noises in the basement, Rose thought of him of course, but actually seeing him put her through a loop. Rose never really thought about it. There was another Jackie and Mickey and Pete, but she didn't consider another Doctor. He always seemed one of a kind to her.

            Down in the basement, the Doctor started sonicing the walls and the doors, looking for anything of beneficial stances. He was muttering some sort of alien possibilites under his breath. They walked along the corridors, dodging boxes and puddles of condensation seemingly coming out of nowhere. They walked until they were back where they started. 

            "So, Doctor," Rose asked, "what exactly are we lookin' for?" 

            The Doctor dramatically looked at his sonic before turning to Rose "There's a terrestrial alien life form giving off bad signals in the basement here, but there's no telling what it looks like. Could be this," he said smacking a rack with the back of his hand and then jumping away a bit fast for a grown man.

             "But what about the woman that drowned in the street? Couldn't she have anything to do with it?" 

             "Maybe. Maybe it could be coincidence, or maybe it could be a part of something bigger," he said, exasperated, and started sonicing the last door. With a jolt, it opened, much to Rose and the Doctor's surprise. But more to their surprise-  _much more,_  a flood of water came along with it. It swung both of them off their feet and they were both drenched and shocked, on the floor gasping for air. The (undisturbed) Doctor jumped right back up on his feet and aired his jacket out. Rose, however, was not as amiable to the sudden wave of water soaking her clothes and leaving her with a chill. The Doctor saw this and helped her up. His interest wasn't completely on Rose, though. He was looking behind him into that room.

            Carefully, the Doctor stepped across the hall and stopped just outside the doorway. He flipped the switch twice, which, of course, didn't work. Instead he soniced around, looking for an alternative light source. Rose had found a flash light in a toolbox, which she noticed the Doctor never would have considered. It was all daedalean with him. She flashed it on and shone it across the room. She walked around, followed by the Doctor. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was just a large room that used to hold meetings. There were still long tables lined up along two walls and chairs set up with them. But as they looked more closely they saw the walls were running with water that came from the ceiling. 

            "Rose," the Doctor said, "the woman that drowned- did she ever come down here?"

            "She was the owner's personal assistant," Rose replied. "I never met her, but I suppose she'd have come down here lookin' for something for Mr. Redner."

            The Doctor looked back at her for a moment, "Don't touch the water," he said.

            "But Doctor, we just got showered with it, what's the difference?" Rose asked looking nervously down at her hands.

            "Nah, that was just regular Earth water," the Doctor said as he started sonicing the walls, "this is something different." Rose watched as he kept examaning the walls. "Ah-ha!" He shouted suddenly looking at his sonic. "It's the moisture, Rose. The Tremadation Forthacum. They must've been expanding out the shop-" His newfound discovery discourse was cut short by a sound erupting from the corner. There was a form standing there, staring at Rose and the Doctor. It was tall- almost reaching the ceiling and it was blue. From the light of the torch it almost looked like a-  _a fish_ , Rose thought wondrously, a walking fish in an orange and white uniform. She had seen werewolves and daleks and even an absorbalof, but _a walking fish._ That was new.

            It started making more sounds like a cat meowing through water. "What are you doing on Earth?" the Doctor asked it.

            "Our planet was lost... we had no other home. We needed water and this planet has oceans of it..." the fish said, stopping in between breaths of water out a mask attached to its face.

            "Did you kill the woman?" the Doctor questioned.

            "She had compromised our water supply... she was going to end it..." At this the Doctor darkened. Rose was always thankful never to be on the receiving end of that cold look.

            "You don't have to take over a planet. I can take you to a new one, one that is just water-" the Doctor tried reasoning, but was cut off.

            "Why should we trust you,... earthling?"

            "I'm not human. I'm the Doctor-"

            "The Doctor? ...Sources tell me you are anything but... trustworthy." The fish creature started backing away. "The Doctor," he spat. "You couldn't even... be trusted by your own species." At that, the Doctor's face fell as he registered the words. Rose knew all too well how the destruction of his own species had impacted him. She knew the one thing that could bring down the Doctor was his life with the Time Lords being ended. That is why he didn't tell just anyone, and even then avoiding the subject as much as possible; but he had told Rose because he trusted her. Even if this wasn't the one that had told her, she knew, and she wasn't going to let the Doctor fall under the words.

            "Well then your sources are wrong," Rose piped up. The Doctor was caught out of his depressive stupor enough to heed Rose's words, "'Cause if there is one thing you can count on, it's the Doctor. He's offerin' you a chance to live on a better planet. No humans and more water. Isn't that what you want? 'Cause if it is I see no reason to turn down the Doctor's offer. And if you plan on doin' it so cruelly and just keep on livin' 'ere and drownin' people, you've got another thing comin'" She ended feircely. The fish seemed taken aback. She held her head high and the fish backed away intimidated. 

            "Rose Tyler... I've heard of you too... the daughter of Peter Tyler, the owner of Vitex.... What associations do you have with the Doctor?" the fish questioned.

            "I was the companion until-"

            "Until he abandoned you!" The fish started laughing. He laughed and laughed as Rose stood back, aggrieved by the fish's torment. How did the damn thing know so much anyway? Rose was enraged as she glared at the laughing fish. Her anger soon turned to bewilderment as it started to choke. Water spurted out the mask it wore and ran down his uniform. It coughed and sputtered as water continued to spurt out of it. Finally, it staggered and slid to the floor, unmoving.

            "Tremadation Forthacum," the Doctor said, "they can't laugh out of water. The masks don't support it." He walked and soniced around, looking for any traces of the rest. "He lied. He was the only one here." The Doctor walked back to Rose. She could tell that he was dismayed by the events, and he could tell the same thing about her. All that time, all that traveling, she had helped him through his post-loss state. She had done all she could- hell, she absorbed the time vortex to save him. She wasn't about to let him off again, but a part of her wished it was still the Doctor she knew, the one that wasn't as broken as she had first met him. It wasn't because she was worried for herself getting tired and bored going through all this again, it was just- she hated seeing him this way. She got to know him better, and she fell in love with him, but seeing him all depressed and still deeply adoring him was just hurting her more. She never got over the day at Bad Wolf Bay. She had tried and tried and tried to find a way back to her Doctor, but it was no use. She wouldn't like to admit it, but she knew the last missing piece was the Doctor had to be trying to find a way back to her too. Her findings told her that he wasn't. But this is a new Doctor, a new chance.

            The Doctor knew this, Rose was something different, that was for sure. She was strong and determined. She stood up for him, knowing his grief for his people. He hadn't been as considerate and she had been hurt badly. Just from this small amount of time with her, the Doctor knew this Rose was something special and couldn't begin to fathom why he would abandon her. But again, he had all the time in the world to make it up. Just as Rose would support the Doctor through his post-traumatic abandonment, the Doctor would help her with hers. He knew what lonliness felt like, all too well, and to inflict it on someone as brave and clever as Rose; he just had to make up for it. And he would.

            He didn't say anything. He just held out his hand for Rose to take and they walked back to Rose's flat together. The midday sun was warming the snow that crunched beneath their feet. They started to feel at ease- that is, until Rose saw a very fancy car parked in front of her flat.  _Oh no_ , she thought. She was already in some trouble, seeming to have started a fire and then leave out of the blue, but with the Doctor,  _that_ was something she would liked to have skipped. She climbed the stairs to her room glumly, and inside she found her mother pacing around the living room. She looked up at Rose and was about to release her opinions on how irresponsible and in trouble Rose was, until she saw the Doctor. Rose felt bad for bringing the Doctor up to this, but it had to happen some time. Jackie's face paled and then flushed as her eyes laid on the Doctor.

            "What the bloody 'ell!"


	3. Trois

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor meets Jackie and Pete Tyler, but things go awry as a peculiar vehicle touches down in London Square and a new threat is bestowed on the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to hallow777 and EverydayClumsy for the support and lovely words. It means a lot when you comment and make me feel all fluffy inside.

"What the bloody 'ell!" Jackie stared unbelieving at the Doctor. "Where 'ave you been all this time, then? You just decide to leave after a big fight and leave Rose with some other Doctor? Not the smartest one, he was," she turned to Rose, "why didn't you just tell me he left you, sweetheart? Why'd you gone on about all that rubbish, him turning into another person? Don't be ashamed, Rose; it's his fault he left such a smart young girl with some daft replacement."

"Mum, this is the Doctor from this universe. He never regenerated, so he's the same as when I found him," Rose said.

Jackie threw her hands in the air. "Again with the magic whiz, Rose! Is this 'im comin' to take you away again? Not again, Rose. Last time you associated yourself with this man we ended up in a whole other universe!"

Rose tried to shoosh her mum, but she hadn't even begun. "You said you wanted to be independent and get your own job and your own apartement, well look what's happened! You've gone and done the last thing that'd be good for you! You can't keep goin' on like this, we've made a life with Pete and Toby. Can't you just se'le down for a bit and have a life? All this wanderin' around, Rose, your'e gonna get lost!"

The Doctor had been standing in the doorway quitely astounded by the outburst of this woman he had never met. She had been feverishly ranting about Rose's decisions and her association with another version of himself when, really,  _he_ didn't have anything to do with any of this. The Doctor contemplated sneaking out, more than once- but the mention of a different universe kept him to stay put. Jumping between universes was impossible. Impossible, without the Timelords. This girl seemed to know a lot about him and his life, and the alternate universe talk brought a spark of hope to the Doctor that maybe  _there was_ a way back to his people. And that was enough to go through a much worse hell.

Jackie continued to rant at a disdained Rose, while something on the couch caught the Doctors eye. He slunk past Jackie and Rose over to the couch- or what was left of it anyway. On the side of the left arm just beneath the curve was a rather charred figure. It looked like words- two words. It was almost impossible to make out, but the Doctor was determined and wasn't very eager to go back to the fuming stranger. He had to move a bit of dust and soot around until the letters started making sense.  _B... A...-_ "and look what he's doing now! Do you call that useful? Is this the one whose hands your'e gonna put your life into?" Jackie glared pointedly at the Doctor, who was crouched on the floor intently rubbing away at the rubble. Rose seeing that found-something-interesting face was immediately entranced. She walked to the Doctor and crouched beside him. "It's like talking to a wall!" Exclaimed Jackie.

"Hold on, mum," Rose shushed, "What is it, Doctor?"

"I can't quite- it's a word," the Doctor muttered under his breath. He continued to brush away before the entire couch erupted in a cloud of smoke and rubble. The Doctor and Rose jumped back, surprised and Jackie just stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"How 'bout we all go home and have some tea?" Jackie suggested. The Doctor paused. He didn't do domestics. Not ever, it wasn't something he enjoyed or found necessary. To him, it was uncomfortable flaky chit-chat that could be avoided with adventure. And that was what he intended.

"No thank you, I have a TARDIS to retrieve and an epidemic on Hollewanicus to tend to-" the Doctor started.

"Oh, don't start. Those planets aren't going anywhere. Let's get you some tea," Jackie insisted. Instead of waiting for the Doctor to answer she charged out the door. The Doctor looked at Rose with a face to say  _that's your mother?_ She shook her head and sighed. "Come on, then!" Jackie yelled from the ground floor. The Doctor knew a human woman couldn't order a Timelord about, but he followed downstairs anyway. Tea isn't so bad, he thought, and though he would never admit it, he was a tad bit frightened.

After a few minutes in a very posh car ride, the three arrived at the even more extravagent house of the Tyler's. It was ginormous and  _very_ well decorated in the latest fashoins. But that was just the outside. After walking up the granite stairs to the porch and through the double doors that were designed with a gold lined  _T_ the Doctor found himself in a rather large front room. There were many rooms that branched off this one and one grand staircase leading to the upper level. The walls were covered in pictures and portraits and the floors with fancy imported rugs. The entire room was lit by a chandelier that could have lit up a football feild. From one of the entryways a young boy- maybe two or three that toddled out almost tripping over his feet. He excitedly ran towards them with a grin that reached both ears. The Doctor flinched. It wasn't that he didn't like children, he did, but they always put a sense of longing into his heart. This one especially, he reminded the Doctor of when his own children would run to him like the world depended on it. The child surprised him by going to Rose instead of Jackie. She picked him up and cooed at him while a man emerged from the same entryway and walked over to kiss Jackie's cheek.

"You really should come home more often, Rose; Tony misses you," Jackie said.

"This is the Doctor," Rose told the man with Jackie, "And this is Pete." He wore a tan suit and shiny black shoes. His hair- what was left of it anyway- was greying and his face was lined with both laughter and worry marks. He looked at the Doctor, confused.  _All these surprised faces,_ the Doctor thought,  _who am I to them?_

"You must be the Doctor of this universe then?" Pete asked.

"Must be," The Doctor replied dismissively, but still rather puzzled. 

"Cathy!" Jackie called. A girl in a maids outfit appeared beside Jackie. She avoided looking Jackie in the eye and something told the Doctor she was a bit scared of this woman; not that it wasn't a legitimate response. "Go fetch us some tea- the good kind, go on," Jackie told her. Cathy scuttled off into another room. "Come on, then, into the sitting room."

Without a chance to protest, or even reply, the Doctor was being hurried into another room and onto a robust white settee. The walls were decorated with flowery wallpaper and atop sat pictures with more flowers and watering cans. The floor was covered in a soft, shaggy, and incredibly  _white_ carpet. Rose sat next to the Doctor with Tony in her lap while Jackie sat across on an adjacent loveseat and Pete in a single chair on the left. Cathy brought in a tray with four tea cups and a tea pot, which, too, were covered in flowers. This Jackie wasn't a bundle of kittens, but the flowers gave her a sort of laid back aura. It was only a matter of time though.

"Where 'ave you been then, Doctor?" Jackie asked as she poured herself some tea.

The Doctor wasn't sure how this questioned should be answered. Geographically he had just been back in 1912 where he met a rather lovely family and convinced them not to board the Titanic. He didn't know how much of his travels this woman knew about, however, so he dodged the question with, "Here and there, same as always" Apparently this wasn't the right answer because Jackie let out a very annoyed sounding huff.

"You abandon my daughter for a walk here and there, did you? Do you have any idea-"

"It's not his fault mum," Rose said, cutting her off, "this is a different one, he doesn't even know who you are." Jackie eyed the Doctor up and down before turning back to Rose.

"Is he askin' you to run off with him again?" Jackie fretted. 

Rose stopped looking at her mum and briefly met eyes with the Doctor- a few notes from a cell phone saved Rose from an awkward moment with the Doctor and her mother. It was Pete's phone, which he quickly dug out of his pocket and flipped up to his ear. He glanced nervoulsy at Jackie who watched him, annoyed. As this happened. Tony crawled from a distracted Rose to the Doctor and climbed onto his lap. The Doctor, after the initital surprise, was almost flooded with many, very different, emotions. The first thought that came to his mind was to hand the child back to Rose. That was, until Tony grabbed the lapel of his jacket. He stopped in his thought tracks and stared down into the eyes of this human. The Doctor thought back to his own children.  It was so many jackets and coats ago, back to when he was still wearing his short black one. After coming home or leaving again- or even when they were to lay down for the night, they would grab the lapel of his jacket and cling to him as if it would be the last time they saw him. Their tiny fists wouldn't let him go very easily, because they did miss him horribly when he left, and they had no intentions of letting him go again. It was never their way though, because the life of a time traveller is ever changing and all they could do with the time they had was cling to their fathers jacket.

During this, Rose looked over to find that Tony had crawled from her lap to the Doctor's. Her first instinct was to snatch him back so the Doctor wouldn't have to play babysitter, but the look on his face stopped her. Tony's hand was grasping his jacket to keep himself from falling. The Doctor was looking down at Tony with the most heart-jerking expression. A look of longing flashed in his eyes. Rose watched this hesitantly, not knowing of what was going on in the Doctor's head. She knew he had a child once, he mentioned it in a conversation once, but his face- there had to be something more.

Suddenly, Pete's face darkened as the voice on the opposite end spoke. He muttered a quick "'Kay" before groping around feverishly. He found the remote and switched the television on. After finding the right channel, he leaned forward and stared at the screen. It was broadcasting Channel Five news. They were covering a story on a spaceship touching down in London Square. The Doctor watched with great interest as some peculiar looking frogs hopped out. They were short and stubby and well over two feet tall, though they were crouched. 

Rose looked at the Doctor, who was far too intrigued to pay much attention to her. He wanted to know what they were and what they intend to do on Earth. He set Tony on the floor and stood up. "Tea was lovely, thank you," he said and almost bolted to the doorway. He stopped just for a moment to look back at Rose, who was staring back at him expectantly, her mouth almost hanging open. He guessed he just expected her to follow him immediately, but her eyes were clouded with the question. He jerked his head toward the door. She smiled hugely and got up to follow him out the front door and onto the streets. The Doctor loved that smile, the smile that he was inflicting, because it was the most beautiful smile he had seen in a long time.

They raced down the streets that were empty, most likely because of the alien hullubaloo, and proceeded down to the square where all this was happening. The square was only a few blocks from Jackie's flat so they got there lickety-split. The square was crowded with many curious onlookers that were being corraled by policemen. The Doctor and Rose found their way up to one where the Doctor showed his psychic paper and she let them through without a second look. The frog creatures had been circling their spaceship timidly watching the inhabitants of London peer at them through the blockades. 

Through the murmurs and chatter in the crowd the Doctor heard that the president would be here to see to the situation. Human authority had never been the Doctor's favorite, especially with his meeting with Torchwood. The Doctor and Rose stood off to the side as a jet black vehicle pulled through the blockades and onto the cobblestone path. A black suited man came out the front and opened the shiny black door to the back. A  _very_ well dressed man exited. The Doctor recognized him as the president during this time period. They had met before when he had first stumbled upon Torchwood. He had shiny black hair and sparkly blue eyes. His suit was made of cashmere and had a gold lined  _J_ on the pocket. The president saw the Doctor first and greeted him with a bright smile.

"Doctor! Can't say I'm surprised," he said. His voice had a certain ring that was beautiful, yet strapping. It certainly set off a few girls behind them.

"President Jones," the Doctor replied.

"Are you here to help us with this little fiasco?" President Jones gestured to the spaceship as if were just another day at work.

"Aren't you just a bit surprised with the spaceship landing in the middle of London Square," questioned the Doctor.

"Ah, nothing new," the president waved it off dismissively and set off to the center. The Doctor followed him and Rose followed the Doctor. They had only walked a few feet before President Jones glanced behind him and saw Rose. "And who is this?" he asked with an impossible mixture of seductiveness and hostility. The Doctor looked behind him to see Rose both flustered and fumed.

"This is Rose. She's with me," the Doctor said. He knew where this was going. Rose was brave and clever and the Doctor wasn't going to let him think Rose unimportant, president or not. But, just in case, he slipped his psychic paper into Rose's hand. The president was about to speak when Rose held it up.

"Rose Robinson, expert in alien happenings and technology," she said confidently. The Doctor inwardly beamed. This was definitely new. 

President Jones let out a chuckle. "I deal with this all the time," he said motioning to the spaceship, "I know when I'm looking at psychic paper." Rose looked less confident and then to the Doctor for help. President Jones chuckled again, "But if the Doctor trusts you, so do I."

The Doctor pocketed his psychic paper and motioned toward the center of the lot. "Now then, shall we?" the three approached the middle cautiously. As they neared, many of the frog creatures hopped away except one. This one held his head high and eyed them carefully.

"Greetings," the president said almost jokingly.

"Earthling," the frog replied, "Our sources show your planet is rich in ploriam-phosphorite."

"And?" commanded the president, "Never heard of it. Go ahead, help yourself." The Doctor fidgeted. Ploriam-phosphorite was a rare and very precious mineral found  _deep_  in the Earth's core. They would have to blow up the whole planet to get to it and that is just what the president invited them to do.

"Might not-" the Doctor started before a squeal came from the frog. All the other creatures pounced up beside him. The leader turned to talk to them as the Doctor turned to speak with the president. "Ploriam-" he was interrupted again.

"I know what that is, Doctor," he said, "they'll never get to it. Torchwood is coming in." The Doctor darkened at these words. He knew how Torchwood would handle the situation. 

"Torchwood is  _not_ the answer," the Doctor protested. President Jones sighed.

"This doesn't have to be difficult-"

"Difficult? You can't just murder a group of aliens because your'e too busy," the president didn't waver. "What about all the buildings, the people?-" the Doctor turned to motion to the crowds but found they had all been evacuated. "You can't do this, President Jones, not while I'm here."

"Well that can be-" the president had started to motion to the car behind him where two rather large and fierce looking guards stood waiting.

"Just give me a moment to talk to them," the Doctor asked. After a moment of contemplation the president nodded his head.  _Two minutes,_ he mouthed and walked to the side a bit. The Doctor approached the leader of the group. He looked up at the Doctor with an aura of superiority. "Alright then, turns out the ploriam-phosphorite is off limits."

The frog creature looked indifferent. "Oh really? Are you to make the decisions for Earth now? How did that go with your own planet, Doctor?" The Doctor was done with this.

"I'm not making the decisions for Earth; I'm just here to make sure nothing explodes," he said and then before the frog could reply, he added, "Including you; the humans aren't going to let you blow up the whole planet. They have weapons that could destroy a moon, they could take out a fleet of frogs." At that, the leader extended his legs so he was at full height, which was quite a few feet taller than the Doctor. The superiority in his expression seemed to amplify by about four-hundred times. 

"Frogs? We are the Gedene! Our race has been the ruler of the Montramity Galaxy for the past hundred millenia! We do not leave because of pesky human technology, nor do we need permission," he said.

"This is your last chance," the Doctor said as the Torchwood planes started zeroing in on the square, "Leave now or when Torchwood get their hands on you, you'll wish you had." As the Doctor said this the gedene started to roll his eyes. But while he did this he stopped. The biggest plane that was flying above them started extracting a whizzy machine-gun-looking device. His face was masked with a look or horror and suprise.

"The Nolander Stone," he muttered, "how did they manage to get that?" the Doctor looked up along with him and saw on top of the gun was a glowing purple stone. It was definitely out of this time period and was  _definitely_ out of league for the Torchwood team. The leader of the gedene squealed again to signal all his troop back into his spaceship. He fled along with them only to stop at the ramp. "I will be back, Doctor" and with that he entered the contraption. It disappeared with a bang and puff of smoke.

The Doctor looked behind him to see Rose, but instead he turned to find her chatting with President Jones. They were just a few yards off so the Doctor couldn't hear what he was saying over the wind, but whatever it was made Rose laugh and look at the ground. He knew he shouldn't,  _really shouldn't,_ but the Doctor felt a slight pang of jealousy. He had just found this Rose. She was different, and after nine-hundred years different things were a blessing to the Doctor. He didn't want to give her up just yet. She would be a brilliant companion; he had always been a fan of clever and brave, which she definitely was. And it might even be a chance to find a way back to his people and that was a good enough quality to take on the worst of people.

Rose saw him looking at them and the Doctor walked over to consult with them. "Another victory, eh Doctor?" the president inquired, "like I said, we could always use you on the Torchwood team."

"Where did you get the Nolander Stone?" the Doctor asked.

"Ah, Doctor, some things aren't meant to be questioned," he replied.

"You said you trusted me, why not tell me?"

"Well, I trust you with things like the assistant choice," he nodded at Rose, who looked deeply offended.

This offended the Doctor too, "this is not something that should be in the hands of Torchwood."

"And why now? We've had it for well over fifty years and managed to keep human kind intact," the president wavered.

"You were going to use it for something you said happens all the time. It's not meant for that," 

"Oh it's just to scare them. It's perfectly harmless when it's not activated," the Doctor was about to argue with this, for even looking at it too long or too close can harm a person, but before he could, the president's phone went off. He held a finger up and turned around. Rose turned to look at the Doctor with a sour look on her face. He didn't like seeing this face, especially on such a pretty one at that, and jerked his head toward the direction of the shop where he left his TARDIS. She knew seemed to know what this meant and a small smile cracked her lips. Together, they strolled down the streets leisurely. People had began to wander out of their homes and gossip about the latest invasion with their neighbors. Children were once again allowed to play in the streets.  _This is the victory,_ the Doctor thought, not chasing off the bad things, but letting the good things flourish.

As they entered the dark basement (which had gotten considerably drier) and found the TARDIS still sitting in the place the Doctor had left her, he turned to look at Rose. "See anything new?" he teased.

"I'll say, yeah," she grinned, running a hand along the corner of his spaceship.

"Space stuff is some dangerous buisness."

She stopped and looked at the Doctor, anticipation in her eyes, "Well I suppose that's what makes it fun."

The Doctor couldn't help but grin at this. He was already feeling the question escape his lips, he just couldn't help it. "Would you like to see more?" he asked. Her eyes were watery, but her grin got bigger.

"Oh, yes," she said, "More than anything"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciation Key:  
> Gedene- Ge as in jet; and dene as in Dean


	4. Fyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and the Doctor go back in time to pre-historic times to visit the long extinct species.

After the Doctor swooped into the TARDIS, Rose followed a step behind. The Doctor turned around to hear those five words he knew so well, but instead turned to see Rose already up at the console with him, grinning like it was just another adventure. He guessed it shouldn't have surprised him after all, she wasn't in the least bit average like everyone else. She was special. She touched the TARDIS console tenderly, and the Doctor noticed it seemed to share a sort of telepathic connection with her. Not at all out of jealousy, the Doctor swooped in between them, clicking levers and pushing buttons, severing their connection. Rose continued to walk the grated floor, running her hand along the railing. She stopped often to watch the Doctor work the console. He wasn't trying to impress her of course, but he did do a few tricky unnecessary things- which he would never admit.

He flipped one last switch before turning back to Rose, "All right, then. Where do you want to go? Forwards or backwards?"

She stopped to look at him on the opposite side of the console. "How 'bout backwards?" The Doctor flipped a few more switches, trying to ignore that tingly, giddy feeling he got when she didn't even hesitate at the mention of time travel.

"How far then, World War II?"

"Oh, is that the best you can do?" the Doctor took this by surprise and felt a sudden urge to show off.

He rolled the wheel back a few hundred more years. "Shakespeare?" She raised an eyebrow. He knew this wasn't how to amaze someone like her. "Alright then," he said as he rolled the wheel back feverishly. He jumped around the console pushing buttons, moving controls, -and occasionally glancing at Rose. "Early cretaceous period. One hundred and forty-four million years ago. How's that?" She grinned wildly, the tip of her tongue at the corner of her mouth. The Doctor had thought that he had already seen the most gorgeous smile she had, but  _wow_ was he wrong. He hopped to the door gleefully and opened it. After making sure they were, in fact, in the right era and there were no hungry dinosaurs about, he gestured his hand out the door so that Rose could exit first.  

 

 

 

 

Rose stepped outside into the new air. This was a thing she loved very much, the air. The London smog was always rather horrendous after having just been somewhere before cars and machines. She breathed in the invigorating scent of prehistoric ferns and conifers drifting through the breeze. Freckling the ground were various unfamiliar leaves along with twigs, some with an odd color. There were trees that reached the sky and blooming flowers that didn't even seem to have a stem. Vibrant colors spotted the plants, some colors were blossoming flowers and some, Rose noticed, were bugs. The sound of crickets and termites chirping coursed through the forest's atmosphere. It sounded much like the country in her own time, she noted. Off a ways she could hear water rushing- over a cliff maybe? It was loud and resounding.

She looked back at the Doctor, who was leaning casually against the TARDIS, grinning. "So this is when dinosaurs lived, yeah?" Rose asked. He nodded. Rose was exhilarated, she had always wanted to visit this era, but there was just  _so much_. She wandered out a bit to sniff a flower. Finding a  _very_ pink shaded blossom, she leaned to inhale the scent, but instantly regretted it. Though it was beautiful, it had an awfully pungent smell. She turned away to make a face, which the Doctor laughed at.

"That's a monocramy flower; deadly to the smaller animals," he said. "What you want is a calamity. Not as bright, but at least it won't hinder your sense of smell. I'd say it's worth the hike."

"Hike?" Rose asked, intrigued.

"Calamities are often found high in altitude and near some water supply," he paused so that just the sound of rushing water could be heard, "I'd call that promising." He set off in that direction and Rose followed eagerly.

The ground was horribly uneven and difficult to maneuver. There were twigs and bushes set up in the most random of places. This was difficult enough even without the trees that sprouted up with roots twisting and weaving throughout the vegetation, making them hard, if not impossible, for Rose to see. The Doctor, however, seemed almost accustomed to the erratic terrain. He avoided roots and rocks that Rose couldn't see. He never tripped or ran into anything like Rose was. The Doctor was actually constantly held back to help her up or warn her of an oncoming obstacle. Rose was a bit rusty with the hiking on rough terrain part of traveling with the Doctor, but this was why she liked him. He didn't take her to planets with civilizations that would pamper them or treat them like gods. Just like the Doctor, Rose sought real adventure. Even if it meant getting some sort of prehistoric poison ivy.

After a good five minutes, Rose found herself atop a cliff with the Doctor standing just off to the side. She had been staring at the ground for so long, concentrating on not falling, that she didn't realize that they were at their destination. Just in front of her water roared over a cliff. The beautifully clear water cascaded through the forest with the glimmer of diamonds. It was a rather wide, but shallow stream that trickled around rocks and branches. Fish were hopping about, playing in the shallow bits of the fall. There weren't many other animals than that, although Rose did see the occasional bird flying overhead. The chirping and chatter of bugs still reigned the air, though they couldn't be seen. 

Rose was so taken in by the sight that she jumped a bit when she felt presence behind her. It was the Doctor, of course. He held in his hand a blue shaded flower. It had opened and the stigma sprouted out. The stem under wasn't more than a few inches. Its petals were a deep blue- much like the Doctor's eyes, she noticed. Dots of white freckled the center. This flower wasn't as vibrant as the pink one, but it was just as beautiful.

"Calamity," the Doctor announced proudly, holding it up for Rose to smell. She led her nose to the base of the flower and inhaled. A sweet aroma filled her mind, bringing back the happiest of her memories. No sort of modern day smog or aura hindered the scent. It was sweet and earthy. She closed her eyes and smiled. She didn't want it to end.

But she and the Doctor couldn't stand like that all day. As she withdrew, the Doctor quickly popped the calamity into her hair right above her right ear. It wasn't something this Doctor did quite often, Rose could tell. He looked as if he were questioning his own actions. His eyes widened slightly, and he let out a small puff of air, but before he could say anything, Rose smiled. And just as soon as her tongue made it to the corner of her mouth, the Doctor relaxed and grinned back. She missed her Doctor more than anything and even the slightest gesture of resemblance made her fall for this one just a little bit more.

The Doctor and Rose continued on their journey through the woods searching for anything of interest. To Rose's disappointment, the animal population was low. There were no dinosaurs about, as she had hoped to see. They just continued to tread though the leaves and mud, hoping to find something new. There were a few times Rose worried about getting lost, but she had to remind herself that she was with the Doctor now. She figured it must be some sort of Timelord sense of direction, never getting lost.

The conversation was low, or at least on Rose's end. The Doctor was rambling on about some sort of ivy that grows inside of rocks- or was it rocks that grew inside of trees?- she wasn't paying much attention; her eyes were on the forest. Their pace was  _very_ gradually growing faster as Rose adapted to the terrain. She fell less frequently, and though her legs were getting scraped and bruised by branches, she was finally starting to match pace with the Doctor. She suspected that he was leading her around in a circle so as not to tread to far from the TARDIS. They continued on for quite a while. She wasn't in the least bit certain how much time had passed, but the position of the sun told Rose it had been at least an hour or so. The sky had been azure when they arrived and was now darkening. Clouds began to take colors of early evening. They turned into a soft orange and grew into pink and then red as they inched toward the sun that was now nearing the horizon. 

Rose found herself longing for her own darker haired Doctor. This was such a beautiful scene. She knew that he would've loved it.  Rose pushed the thought out of her mind, as thinking of him always brought a twinge of pain. She was happy now; Rose never really did get over her first Doctor, and here he was.

"Well, that can't be right," the Doctor muttered and stopped abruptly. Rose was so taken in by her own reveries that she almost fell into the Doctor. They were standing among trees that would've towered over any sort of modern day building. The branches were long and covered with large, thick leaves that drowned out most light from the sky. Rose couldn't see the Doctor well, but she could sense in his voice something was off.

"What is it, Doctor?" she asked.

"The TARDIS," he said, looking around, "it should be somewhere around here." He brought out his sonic and swept the forest floor, looking for anything unusual. Rose looked around too. Where the TARDIS was parked, the trees were much shorter and the sky was visible overhead. It certainly didn't look like where he parked it. He came back up to Rose examining his screwdriver. "We went around a circle; we should be..." he trailed off, looking above him. His expression changed from worry to wonder when his eyes reached the sky. Rose looked up to see a bird flying overhead. Well, it was rather  _big_ for a bird- her mouth dropped open when she realized it wasn't a bird, but a pterodactyl.

A rustle of leaves brought their attention to a bush a few meters off. A great creature roamed up behind it. It was walking with four legs and a tail the length of a refrigerator. The Doctor backed off a few steps and Rose followed. She knew that if the Doctor was cautious about something, it was best to stay clear of it. Another dinosaur came up behind him, this one the same kind, but smaller. Dozens of different kinds started appearing out of the trees and behind boulders. The forest floor quickly became occupied with little rodents and smaller dinoes to scurry about. 

A noise loomed in the distance. It started out as a roar drowned out by everything else, but it soon became clear to both Rose and the Doctor, that this wasn't a friendly beast. They couldn't see it yet, just the buzzle of everything else. The Doctor quietly grabbed Rose's hand and motioned to head out the opposite way. They walked quickly so as not to stir anything. 

As they hustled through the wood's vegetation something seemed to catch the Doctor's eye, as he edged to the left quite a bit. Rose knew better than to question this, especially with the uproar still in hearing range. They ran as fast as they could. Rose was lost in a frenzy of noises in colors swirling around her. It was all very overwhelming; she felt as if the trees were closing in on her, suffocating her.

This feeling ended instantaneously when they broke through the trees and to their surprise and amusement, led back to the clearing where the waterfall resided. With all the hullabaloo behind them, they were free to walk leisurely on to where the water gushed over the cliff.

Standing next to the waters edge, Rose looked at the Doctor. He was covered in twigs and breathing heavily, though not as heavy as her. He looked back down at her, first with a hint of concern on his face, but faded instantly when Rose smiled. The smile slowly turned into a chuckle then a full on laugh. The Doctor relaxed and did the same.

The sun was just setting over the horizon, the sky painted with orange and pink. It was a wonderful sunset, Rose thought, with all the trees and flowers. Everything was just so _colorful_. She decided to sit on a rock that safely hung on the cliff to watch it. The Doctor sat with her, both of their feet hanging over the edge.

The evening air hung low and humid. Cicadas buzzed loudly in the distance. Rose watched in fascination as dinosaurs roamed in the area below them, drinking from the stream and munching on vegetation. She had always pictured them aggressive creatures, but they strolled about in perfect harmony. Rose did see a few animals she recognized; the hippos and some fish. They had somewhat different characteristics, but other than that they looked as they did in her time.

Rose stopped watching the landscape just in time to watch the sun disappear beyond the trees. Everything went dark in a matter of seconds. She stayed where she was, waiting for the sun’s lingering effect on the clouds to fade along with it, and when it finally did, the Doctor suggested that they go back to the TARDIS. Rose agreed and they were off again, this time knowing their destination- and getting there.

But just as the TARDIS came into view something else did too. The Doctor stopped abruptly when he saw, but it was too late. The creature had seen him. It was tall- three times taller than him with teeth the length of Rose's hand. It's giant head sat atop a drastically smaller neck which led to the rest of it. Rose was no dinosaur expert, but this particular one resembled some pictures she had seen in museums and books. It looked like a tyrannosaurus rex.

Rose's heart stopped beating. Perhaps if they had waited before making themselves visible long enough for the dino to leave they wouldn't be in such a position. But it had already seen them. The giant stared at them. The Doctor was so still, he didn't even seem to breathe. Rose followed suit, hoping that he knew what he was doing. For a moment it seemed to work before Rose glanced toward where the TARDIS was. She couldn't help it, it was just so close. Just nearly a dozen feet off.

The T-Rex let out a bloodcurdling scream that shook the ground. Rose recognized the same sound from earlier when they were lost. The same thing they had been running from all that time. She cursed internally. They were so _close_ to the TARDIS and she had ruined the last chance at reaching it. The dinosaur was directly to the right of it, giving no space for escape. 

"Run, Rose," the Doctor said. "Climb a tree; go where he can't reach you,” he ordered her.

Rose didn't move. She wasn't exactly sure what he was planning to do, but she wasn't about to let him do it alone. "What- I'm not leaving you, Doctor."

The Doctor turned around to give her his fiercest "I'm not asking" look, but when his eyes fell hers, his glare faltered. Her face was a mask of horror and he turned just in time to see why. The dino had advanced and was just an arm’s length away from the two of them. It quickly dove its head down to the Doctor, mouth wide open.

The Doctor had anticipated this, and dove out from under it. He was on the right side of the beast, leaving Rose alone on the left.

Rose didn't know a thing about dinosaurs, let alone how to outrun them, so as it charged once again for the Doctor, she was left only with the instinct to confuse it with noise. It was bounding around attempting again and again to take him between his teeth, but with the Doctor’s fast reflexes and experience with battling foes, it was having no luck. There were a few times the dino had gotten close, skimming the Doctor's leather jacket or leaving slobber on his shoes; seeing this always stopped Rose's heart. She didn't know what she could do. So she made noise.

With nothing but vegetation around them, she had to use her voice, "Oi!" she screamed. It's attention remained solely on the Doctor. "Oi, Chomper! Over 'ere!"

It flinched and turned just enough to see Rose behind him.

"Wait- no!" the Doctor yelled as the giant started to pursue Rose.

She had no idea what to do in this sort of situation, so she took the Doctor’s advice and found a tree.

As she advanced toward it, the dino followed her, just a few meters behind. She grabbed the lowest branch and propelled herself over it and onto the next one. She continued this and was up three more branches before the beast got there. Rose had thought she was up high enough to get out of it's reach, but it was taller than she thought. Rose searched around desperately for another branch to climb and came up with nothing. The dino's teeth were just inches from her feet.

Rose brought her eyes from the T-Rex and looked toward the clearing where the Doctor had been. She turned just in time to see the Doctor enter the TARDIS and both of them disappear.

The last wail of the TARDIS left Rose alone with a very angry- and frustrated dinosaur. It was getting closer, straining its neck to reach higher. Its roars kept getting louder and Rose thought thay she would go deaf.

With little hope, she closed her eyes.

The screeches of the T-Rex were getting more exhausted- or was it- no that wasn't the giant; a new sound was replacing the cry of the dino.

Rose opened her eyes to see the TARDIS materializing around her. Her surroundings of the forest changed to that of the interior of the TARDIS. The Doctor was standing next to the console staring at Rose with wide eyes. This was short lived though, because when he saw her still in one piece, a smile the size of Antarctica spread across his face. 

"Rose!" the Doctor exclaimed. Without even giving his mind a chance to think, he bounded across the floor to help Rose up and embrace her. She started shaking and the Doctor registered his actions and stepped back. Humans, he knew, were prone to shock, especially when a first trip involves a hungry cattivo lupo nipping at your feet. He turned back toward the console.

The Doctor had turned almost entirely toward the center when he felt a pull on his jacket. He looked down to find Rose's hands latched onto his lapel. The Doctor's eyes quizzically met Rose's and for a moment he couldn't remember how to breathe.

Her tremors had been the result of _laughing_ not crying.

The Doctor let out a breath that had been building in his throat since he had embraced her. Rose's hands were wrapped firmly in his jacket, finger nails nearly scratching the leather. Though her laughter had stopped, her eyes still shone bright with delight.

" _That_ was something," Rose muttered.

"'That was something?'" the Doctor repeated. "You just got chased down by a cattivo lupo! You're hardly even tremblin'; done this before, have you?"

"Not dinosaurs," Rose replied, ignoring his impressive reckoning of Italian dinosaurs, "but it's not my first time runnin' from somethin' that wants to eat me." She let him out of her embrace and jogged to the console.

"You know, it'll always be this dangerous," the Doctor called after her.

She stopped, looked at him with dazzling, mischievous eyes, and said, "Isn't that why we're here?"

Once again, the question rose up in the Doctor's throat: _Who are you, Rose Tyler?_

He had been wanting to ask all this time but could never quite bring himself to do it. Did he really want to know? For so long, the Doctor lived in the complicated mess of the Time War. There wasn't a time he wished it would all just _end_ and he could go back to his life of adventure, with a companion next to him and a universe ahead. He had chosen the ultimate way to end it, and with that came the burden he had to carry upon his shoulders the rest of his life.

And out of all the wreckage, the havoc, the insanity, in the end, he met a girl. A brilliant, clever, courageous, _beautiful_ girl. And she brought along with her a mystery. The Doctor loved mysteries, but with mystery comes complexity, and he didn't want to go back to complexity just yet. He had exactly what he wanted now. Adventure ahead and a companion to share it with.

The Doctor figured that he and Rose could go a bit longer without any further problems arising. He was finally _happy._ He was happy with her.

And for now, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many of these plants and insects are made up for lack of knowledge of the cretaceous period
> 
>  
> 
> Apologies for the lame cliche of the T-rex, but seriously, how cool are they?
> 
>  
> 
> (Chomper is the T Rex from Land Before Time)


	5. Purple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, I just- really like the Beatles

The TARDIS screeched once more before settled comfortably between two alley ways. The Doctor had only told Rose their next destination was a surprise and she was more than excited to see where he had taken her. They had just been at a planet called Hamand where the creatures were as tall as trees and the buildings were so big you couldn't see the top. This was one of the many trips they took since the prehistoric one.

Rose knew she should go back to tell her mother she was off again. But as much as she wanted to, there was always something new stirring in the corners of the universe. There was always just _one more place_ to go before returning. _One more adventure_. Rose wasn't very eager to confront her mother anyway. She  _had_ just ran off with the Doctor once again, to go out on dangerous adventures, battling monsters, unmasking villains, exactly the thing Jackie would _not_ be happy about. Rose could tell the Doctor was hesitant to go back too.

So in her time stalling, she and the Doctor had gone out many times, exploring galaxies and meeting new people. They visited planets, aliens, civilizations. The Doctor took her to his favorite stars and times, (some of which she had already been, but enjoyed regardless). He and Rose had become closer. Every now and then, Rose would get a sense of déjà vu when he unconsciously stared at her when he thought she couldn't see, or the warmth of his arms around her when he got so excited he just couldn't help himself, and of course the inevitable tense of his shoulders when he felt he had gone too far.

Finally Rose decided she would go back when the Doctor distracted her with talk of one more trip, but refused to tell her where. And that was where they were now.

As the last wail faded out the Doctor frowned at the monitor. Rose was at the door, her heart about ready to burst with anticipation. She looked back to see the Doctor still standing at the console.

"Doctor? What is it?" She asked, her hand at the door.

"It's the TARDIS. Somethings off," he said. Rose's heart fell. She had been wanting to see where he had taken her so bad and now that his TARDIS was in distress she knew he wouldn't leave her. The Doctor jogged around to pull a part of the grated floor up and examine the inside.

At least she could ask. "Where are we?"

He looked up just enough to smile at Rose and say, "Go see." She smiled back and opened the door.

Outside, was an alley where the TARDIS was parked. Beyond that looked just like London. Rose stepped out onto the ground and looked around. It _was_ London. Except-perhaps a bit older? It looked about mid-noon, though the walls around her made it look darker. The alley way was made of cobblestone and the walls were brick. Old boxes were lined along the sides of the narrow pathway. The atmosphere was damp, as if it had rained earlier. Gutters were still dripping water and making puddles.

Rose peered back through the TARDIS door and saw the Doctor on his back poking at wires that were spilling out the console. "What are we here for?" she asked him.

"You'll see," he said without looking at her.

She frowned a little. "Do you need help with anything?" She asked, planning to go out exploring.

"Nah. Just be back by sun down." he said dismissively. Rose turned to leave and just before she closed the door she could here him shout, "and don't get into any trouble!"

Rose exited the alley and a blast of old London air hit her. It was a musty scent along with smog and soot. The stone streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of chattering people and vintage cars. Rose heard someone in particular and turned to see a rather large group of girls sitting in front of the buildings. She turned away, dismissing it.

Rose walked along the streets watching everything. What was so special about this time period anyway? It didn't look like much. She wished the Doctor was with her. She sensed she had been in this time before, and it wasn't much fun to re-experience everything on her own.

After a while of wandering around, Rose's stomach rumbled. It was about time for lunch now, and the smell of fish and chips happened to be coming from a restaurant across the street. She fumbled around for the small wallet in her back pocket to see how much money she had left. Just enough.

She soon found herself seated in a booth looking out the window with a plate in front of her. She watched as people went by while absentmindedly eating. A crowd had begun to form along the streets.

"Are you done with that hun?"

"Huh?" Rose looked up to see a waitress with her hand on the empty plate in front of her. "Oh yeah. What's with all the crowds?" Rose asked before the waitress could leave.

A disbelieving smile spread across her face. "You don't know? Everyone's been talking about it." Rose shook her head. "It's the concert-" she was interrupted by someone sitting at the bar, gesturing at an empty glass. Her smile faded and she held up a finger at Rose and mouthed _one minute_. She disappeared behind a counter. Rose didn't feel like waiting, a concert was a good enough answer. She went up to the counter to pay, said goodbye to the waitress and left.

She debated going back to the TARDIS. There wasn't much appeal to watching the Doctor play with wires, but there wasn't much else to do. She would have wanted to walk through the park, if there weren't so many people. _What sort of concert is this?_   Rose thought. Every where she turned, there was someone else.

Rose did decide to go back to see if the Doctor had diagnosed the problem with his ship. She had to squeeze herself through hundreds of people. They were all quite loud and excited about what was going on. As she neared the street on which the TARDIS stood, a loud scream spread throughout the group. The screams got louder and louder, until Rose had to cover her ears. She couldn't see well through everyone, but she did make out a limo pulling up to the building that stood as a side to the alley. Rose wormed her way through the crowd and was finally free to walk normally in the empty alley way.

She opened the door to the TARDIS and stepped inside, excluding the noise from the outside. The Doctor was still on the floor tinkering with some sort of gadget.

" _What_ is going on?" She asked. The Doctor looked up surprised. Rose saw that he had been so absorbed in the little trinket he was holding that he hadn't noticed she'd walked in.

"The concert, I guess. It's getting late isn't it?" He looked back down to the mess of wires and screws he'd made on the floor.

"What's wrong with the TARDIS?" Rose asked, sitting down cross-legged beside him.

"You smell like chips." He remarked.

"I stopped by a diner. Doctor?" She acquired.

"I don't know," he said, "she's in distress, I just don't know why." Rose looked toward the console wondering _how on Earth_ a spaceship could be in distress. Regardless, she ran her hand across the console as if to comfort it. "She'll get us places, but I can't be certain it'll be the right place." He murmured gazing at the pile on the floor.

Rose waited a while before she spoke again. "What'll we do?"

"We'll have to wait a few days to leave so she'll be able to get us to the right place. We'll go back to your time and stay there until I can figure out what's wrong with her." He dove right back into the pile of machinery he had lying in front of him. Rose watched him for a while and finally got bored.

"I'm gonna go out and get some air, yeah?" Rose started up and walked to the door where she turned back to see the Doctor nod briskly once. She turned to exit the TARDIS and stepped out back into the alleyway. It had gotten darker and there was still many people crowded in the streets, though they had lessened. The alley remained empty except for herself and the boxes. She stepped over one to stand in the midway and lean against a wall.

Not a minute had passed before a door opposite of her opened. A young man stepped out with a cigarette brought up to his lips. He had striking- and quite familiar features; dark hair, brown eyes. His hair was ruffled and he looked rather tired.

The man saw Rose and paused. His eyes widened with surprise. He had a hand still on the doorknob, poised as if he were to run back in at any second. Rose remained still, she _had seen_ this face before. She just wasn't quite sure where. The man slowly lowered his hand so the door swung shut behind him.

"Hello," Rose said hesitantly. He lit the cigarette and blew smoke to his side before answering.

"Hello." He replied. He took another drag. "What's your name, then?"

"Rose," she said, "What's yours?" the man chuckled a bit, and as Rose remained waiting for and answer, a small disbelieving smile spread across his lips.

"George," he said. Rose had to will her mouth to stay shut as she registered this. _George._ George _Harrison_. She couldn't believe it. She had just met _George Harrison_. "You don't know who I am. That's new." Rose couldn't help smiling, she new _exactly_ who he was. But she managed to keep her cool and not combust from excitement.

"What're you doin' out 'ere?" she asked. At that moment a breeze picked up making the both of them shiver. George gripped his jacket tighter around himself and Rose had only her arms to wrap around herself.

"All this fuss. I don't know, I- It's just a bit much. I just wanted to get out of the crowd and have one last smoke before the show," he said. Of course, only the Beatles could draw such a crowd. Rose drew her arms tighter around herself and sucked in a breath of chilled evening air. "Where are you from, Rose?" He asked.

"London," she said. It was odd how such an extraordinary man would be prone to making idle smalltalk.

"Been around here long? Can't imagine you were here for the show." Rose didn't know what to say. She didn't even know where she _was._

"Just passing by," she said.

"What do you do for a living?" He continued to puff on his cigarette, but with what seemed to be more interest in Rose.

"I used to work in a shop," she said, "now I travel."

"Been to any fascinatin' places?" Rose smiled. _If only he_ _knew_.

"Loads, yeah" she replied.

"What's your favorite?" Once again, Rose was put in a difficult position.

"Greece," she said. That seemed like a good answer. It wasn't all lie either, Rose _had_ been to Greece. About 1100 B.C. "What about you? You must've gotten around a lot, being a famous guitarist and all." He shrugged.

"I've been here and there. We go on tour to America next month. That'll be as far as I've gotten. That's the farthest any of us has gotten, really," he said, in what Rose suspected he was referencing the rest of the band. George bent down to rub his cigarette into the cracks between the stone. "Would you like to meet them?" he asked.

Rose tried- tried _really_ hard to contain her surprise and excitement as his eyes fell back on her. She remembered the Doctor still in the TARDIS. She couldn't just  _leave_ him. "My friend-" she said as she gestured toward the TARDIS.

"He can come too," George said.

Rose could barely contain her excitement as she burst through the TARDIS door. She looked around to find the Doctor had vacated the control room. "Doctor!" she yelled. She ran to the arch and yelled his name once more. This time a distant, but audible yell came back from behind a door a few paces down the corridor.

She opened it to find the Doctor laying under a metal shaft a few meters above her head. "What are you doin' now?" She asked.

"The transforthucum reconfiguration is off," he said, "I'm trying to get it back into place." Rose heard something snap. Whether it was something snapping apart or together, Rose didn't pay much attention.

" _Guess_ who I just met," Rose announced proudly.

"Who?" the Doctor asked.

"George Harrison. From the _Beatles_." At this the Doctor stopped what he was doing to look down at her, a no-way look plastered on his face. "He invited us to meet the rest of the band." The Doctor went back to continue on what he was doing.

"Best not. I happen to owe John some money." Rose smiled and shook her head. She turned to leave, but as her hand rested on the door, she turned back.

"Doctor, what _are_ we doin' here?"

"There was talk of a concert tonight. I thought we might stop by," he said without looking at her. "I'll be down when it starts. Promise."

Rose muttered a quick see you later and left. She remembered to grab a jacket of the railing in the control room. Night had fallen since Rose had been out and the only thing she could see was George standing by the door, warming his hands by rubbing them together. A crooked smile spread across his face when he saw her. He opened the door and Rose stepped in. It was an old building, mildew ran up and down the walls, the interior decorations to the small room with a single staircase they were in were tacky, and someone seemed to have used the floor as a bathroom.

George entered in after her, and started up the stairs. Rose sidestepped the puddles and followed after him. She was brought into a dressing room. There were movie posters tacked on the walls, mirrors and dressing tables were everywhere, makeup artists were surrounded around chairs. A few of them came to George, forced him into a seat, reapplied make up and fussed over how he had gotten dirty.

Cameramen swished around, taking photos of who she expected to be the rest of the Beatles, but couldn't see. Her heart leaped out of her chest when she realized she was only a few meters away from the band.

She was rather surprised when some of the cameramen started taking photos of her. She wished she had changed into something more fit to this time instead of her jeans and plain gray top. "I hope you don't mind," George called from behind a brush, "They do that."

Rose watched everyone hurrying around in fascination. It was all quite busy, but as it got later all the stylists and camera people fanned out and George was finally able to get free of the mob long enough to reach Rose. He guided her to the other chairs that seated three astonishingly familiar people. They all stood when they saw her. "This is John, Paul, and Ringo," George said, gesturing to each one. They all shook her hand. "Boys, this is Rose."

"Pretty name," John remarked. Rose blushed.

"Are you stayin' for the show?" Paul asked, "Tonight's gonna be an 'ell of a performance. Ed set up these canons and all." Rose nodded, a tight ball of excitement was knotted up in her stomach keeping her from speaking.

A women from a door yelled, "Showtime!" and they were off. They exited through a door in single file, Paul winking at her as he passed.

George lingered near Rose long enough to say, "See you after the show?" She nodded again.

The same women that had called them came down into the dressing room to ask, "You watchin' the concert?" She looked to be in her late twenties. Her short black hair was wound tightly behind her head and her bangs fell over her eyes. She wore a black t-shirt with an I.D. dangling from a lanyard around her neck.

"Yeah, I have a friend though-" She started.

"There's a lad outside with your description." The women looked Rose up and down and nodded, as if to confirm she had found the right girl. "You Rose?" She asked. Rose nodded. "I'm Ira." Ira led Rose down a different hallway, dimly lit, but not quite as dank as the last one. "So how'd ja get in the dressing room? Jimmy the lock?" she teased. Rose smiled.

"No, I met George out in the alley. Liked me I guess," Rose replied.

"The alley," Ira gruffled, "That boy's always gettin' himself dirty. Let 'im out of your sight for one minute-" She cut herself off, shaking her head.

"How are you associated with them? Are you a manager or something?"

"You could say that. I follow them around, make sure they don't get into trouble, help 'em out. Things like that." Ira turned a corner where a set of double doors were. There were two small windows where Rose could see _hundreds_ of people, all screaming and rushing about. In the back, Rose could just barely see the Doctor standing against a wall. He must hate this, she thought. He must just really like her. "Well, this is it." Ira said, opening the door for Rose, "Good luck." When she opened the door, a billion voices all shot out at once. There was laughing, talking, screaming. It was a rather cramped space for all these people. Rose had to squeeze herself through almost the entire way before she found the Doctor in a more secluded place in the back.

Rose leaned against the wall next to him. She was close enough their arms met when either one of them inhaled. They were both too far to see the stage well, but that didn't matter much to either of them. The Doctor turned to her and said "George Harrison?" still with an edge of disbelief.

Rose grinned and confirmed this just as the lights started to dim. A roar spread throughout the theatre. Rose couldn't _believe_ it could get much louder but, boy was she wrong. She stood on her toes to see why the scream had arisen. Four men walked out onto the stage. They were all in suits and shiny black shoes. As the four took their positions on stage, Rose lowered herself back into her former position next to the Doctor.

After a brief introduction, the band started playing. Their voices hushed the enthused crowd, and quite bewildered Rose. They sounded much different from the fuzzy records Rose had heard. She knew they were good, but _this_ was just _brilliant._ They sang their songs in such a way, it seemed to mesmerize everyone in the theatre. Everyone was dancing and singing along.

As promised, near the end, canons shot off confetti into the arena. This set up another uproar into the crowd. The band ended with a long lasting note and after almost an hour, the concert was over. All four boys exited the stage to leave off in their limousine.

The fans fanned outside immediately to watch them go. Rose stayed behind, not certain what to do. George had asked to see her after the show. Rose's face fell. Had he already forgotten about her?

 

As the concert ended, the Doctor had watched Rose. She was so _happy._ Her dazzling smile could light a whole city. He loved it when he could make her smile. Her eyes shone so bright he couldn't help himself getting lost in them, the whole world fading around them. He himself thought the Beatles were fantastic, but he knew how much more Rose enjoyed them. When he found that out he knew he would go to great lengths to get her here. Even if all she did was smile.

After everyone had left, he looked to Rose, whose expression had gone sour. "Rose?" He said before he could stop himself.

She brought her eyes to his. Her mouth opened to say something, but was interrupted. "Rose!" A voice came from the stage. They both turned to see George leaping off the platform and jogging the rest of the length to them. "You're still here," he smiled. Rose's face brightened. At first the Doctor was relieved- then a pang of jealously hit him. He had been so used to being on the other end of that smile by that point, that he was rather befuddled when George caused it. A clamor came from the stage. All three looked to see the other three band mates stumbling down the staircase and making their way through the maze of trash and confetti.

"Rose," Paul greeted her, nodding in her direction, "sir." he nodded at the Doctor.

"'Ello, I'm-" the Doctor stopped before saying his name when he saw the recognition on John's face. "-John Smith. Yep, John Smith."

"You look familiar," John said, his face contorting, trying to remember where he had seen him, "Don't you owe-"

"I don't believe so," the Doctor said, "Must just have one of those faces." John's mouth opened once more to speak, but before he could the Doctor said, "Well, best be off; early morning." He faked a yawn and turned back to his companion. "Rose?" he turned to see Rose had been talking to George. She turned when he said her name.

"Actually, Doctor, I was gonna talk to George for a while," She said, "that is, if you don't need anything."

"Course not," the Doctor said a bit fast. He waved a hand to everyone and just before turning for the door he said, "Don't get into any trouble." and left. The sky was a midnight blue, shining with billions of brilliant stars. The temperature had dropped drastically. It didn't affect him much, though. He entered the TARDIS and went right back to the stations panel he had been working on. He was lying on his back, messing with the wires and such, when he found his mind start to wander.

The Doctor had just been rerouting the metagland back into it's proper place when he found his mind was drifting. It wasn't like him at all, to get distracted like this. Especially when his TARDIS was in such a state. But he still couldn't get why this was bothering him so much. George Harrison wasn't that cool. What was with all the jealously?

He worked with the wires for a good hour before he heard a clatter in the control room. A moment later, Rose appeared in the doorway.

 

Rose found the Doctor in a familiar room, still working on the TARDIS. He hardly looked up when she entered. "Any better?" Rose asked him. He nodded. "Alright, well, I'm gonna go to sleep. Goodnight, Doctor."

"'Night, Rose," The Doctor said, finally looking at her. She left him and went to the room she had assumed. Rose decided to take a quick shower before she fell asleep. It turned out to be a _very_ quick shower because the TARDIS had uncharacteristically run out of hot water.

A short while later, she lay in her bed, recounting the last few hours. George had walked with her through the less populated areas so as not to draw attention. They talked a long time, telling each other of their families and travels- Rose, of course, leaving out the alien parts. She mostly talked of her mother. George had asked about Rose's relationship with the Doctor. She responded vaguely, saying he was a family friend she was traveling with.

The next morning, Rose stood, watching the Doctor as he calibrated the TARDIS' controls. He predicted nearly an hour before they could leave.

"Has this happened before?" Rose asked.

"She's broken down, yeah," the Doctor replied, "but not like this. I can't find a cause, it's like she just doesn't want to function."

"Is it safe to travel back?" Rose questioned.

It took a moment for the Doctor to answer. He was just running a hand along the console, not even trying to look busy, "Do you trust me, Rose?"

His companion paused for a moment. Not because she was uncertain, not at all, but because the question caught her off guard. Rose trusted the Doctor with her life, was he _that_ unsure that he had to ask? "Of course," she asserted.

"Then I'll get you home," he promised.

 

 A knock resounded on the TARDIS door, forcing Rose's eyes from the Doctor's assuring gaze. She quickly glanced at the monitor, where she saw her new friend waiting for her outside. The Doctor ignored this and walked off into another room. Rose went to open the door- just enough so she could get through.

"'Ello," George greeted her when she came out, "how was your morning, then?"

Rose had just woken up herself, but opted to say, "It was fine." instead. 

"I couldn't imagine it being very comfortable in that box," he joked, leaning against it. "Is this actually where you stayed?"

"It's actually more comfortable than you would think," Rose smiled. She spoke again before he could reply, "What brings you back here? I thought you left for America today"

"Actually that's why I'm here. I was hoping you and your companion would like to tour America with us," his hopeful, gorgeous hazel eyes met Rose's. A sense of dread ballooned in her stomach. "I mean, I figured since you were already travelling, you might want to."

She'd love to tour with the Beatles in America, really, but if she had to choose between America with George and an entire universe with the Doctor, well, there wasn't much of a competition. The Doctor would never go for it, anyway. "George, I'd love to, but I can't." Once again, the guitarists face fell. "I mean, that sounds amazin', but that's not where we're headed."

"Yeah, it's fine. I understand. Where are you headed, out of curiosity?"

"Just," Rose said, bringing her hand up to the band member's arm, "the other way."

"George!" A woman called from a cab at the end of the alleyway. "There you are, come on-you'll miss your flight!" Rose recognized her as Ira, the girl she met the night before.

"Well, that'll be me," George sighed. He leaned in a little to plant on a soft kiss on Rose's cheek. "Maybe we'll cross paths again someday." He squeezed Rose's hand again and then he left.

Rose stood there a minute, watching him leave, before she entered the TARDIS.

The Doctor stood at the console. "Well the TARDIS is stable enough to get you home, at least," the Doctor told her as she walked up to him. "So you didn't want to tour with the Beatles, eh?"

A smile spread across her face, "Nah, touring with the Beatles? If I left, who would be here to save you?" She joked. "Besides, the Beatles aren't that cool, anyway."

The Doctor grinned and took her hand. "Rose Tyler," he said affection lacing his voice, "What am I to do with you?" Rose looked up to the Doctor's brilliant, shining face and thought once again,  _no competition at all._

 

 

 

The pot clicked on and off in the kitchen. His wife was making tea, the usual time of day. He inhaled as much as he could and brought in the scent. _Chamomile_. Her favorite. He smiled fondly at the sound of her footsteps getting closer. This was the usual time of day she'd take him outside to his garden.

Outside, sitting on a bench, something sparked in George's mind. Something-for whatever reason, had reminded him of memory, long since forgotten in the back of his mind. The memory of a strange girl whom he met so many years ago. His own personal Cinderella story, meeting a rather special girl, befriending her, and like that, she was gone.

George was somewhat startled by the sudden memory of this girl. He wondered if she was still out there somewhere, traveling. He knew he wouldn't be around much longer, and had always hoped she would come back to see him one last time.

The next day, on a beautiful November evening, he lay on his bed. His family hovered around him, trying to hide the tears they knew he wouldn't like. His time was coming. He felt it. He drew up all the energy he could one last time to speak his last words, "Love one another." He advised.

And right before death engulfed him, he looked out the window to his garden. There stood a blonde girl with sad eyes. She stood among the roses next to a blue box. George recognized her instantly; for she looked exactly the same. A peaceful feeling came over George as he remembered what had reminded him of the girl the day before. He remembered back to that point, sitting in the garden, admiring his favorite flower. _Rose_.


End file.
